


Impossibly Improbable

by NewUserNamesAreHard



Category: Magic Kaito, 名探偵コナン | Detective Conan | Case Closed
Genre: F/M, Fem!Hakuba, Heists, Kind of..., Pranks and Practical Jokes, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-25
Updated: 2017-12-25
Packaged: 2019-02-20 08:51:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,583
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13143198
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NewUserNamesAreHard/pseuds/NewUserNamesAreHard
Summary: Saguru glanced at the boy sitting to her left. It was impossibly improbable, but she was 80% certain that he was the internationally wanted criminal Kaitou KID.Make that 90% certain. Becausenormalteenagers didn’t vanish in a cloud of multicolor smoke at lunch time...Or have chapter 4, page 57, paragraph 2, lines 3 through 7 memorized.Just in casethe teacher called on them to read aloud while they were absentmindedly shuffling cards and staring out the window...Or for that matter, backflip out of the said second story window to escape a mop barrage...But Kuroba Kaito did.Secret Santa gift for Mikauzoran. Writing Saguru is out of my wheelhouse, but I hope I did him justice. I mean her. I hope I did her justice.Fem!Hakuba x Kaito





	Impossibly Improbable

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Mikauzoran](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Mikauzoran).



> Mikauzoran, 
> 
> Thank you for organizing all of the Poirot Café writing events this year. I’ve had a blast writing for the group. And even though you being the organizer takes some of the ‘secret’ out of Secret Santa, I hope this story fulfills your request for Kaito and Fem!Hakuba. Happy Holidays!
> 
> NewUserNamesAreHard

Monday, April 18th  
Edoka High School - Classroom 2-B  
10:23:04 AM

Saguru glanced at the boy sitting to her left. It was impossibly improbable, but she was 80% certain that he was the internationally wanted criminal Kaitou KID.

Make that 90% certain. Because _normal_  teenagers didn’t vanish in a cloud of multicolor smoke at lunch time...

Or have chapter 4, page 57, paragraph 2, lines 3 through 7 memorized. _Just_ _in case_  the teacher called on them to read aloud while they were absentmindedly shuffling cards and staring out the window...

Or for that matter, backflip out of the said second story window to escape a mop barrage...

But Kuroba Kaito did.

#### -xoXox-

Saturday, May 7th  
Hatakeyama Museum - Touring Jewelry Exhibit   
10:58:22.68 PM

Saguru glanced at her pocket watch more out of habit than necessity. KID’s next heist was scheduled to begin in 97.32 seconds. And it probably would. KID was remarkably timely. Saguru could at least appreciate that about the thief. Even if he blatantly disregarded all other notions of common courtesy.

Pushing the thought from her mind, she surveyed the room again, honestly at a loss as to how the task force actually intended to capture the phantom thief. Filling the room with people was not the way to catch someone as slippery as KID. He was far more likely to disappear in the chaos of all those moving bodies.

“Ladies, gentlemen, and detectives of all sizes,” KID’s voice echoed through the room at exactly 11pm, “let’s start the show.”

In that moment Saguru adjusted the probability of Kuroba-san being KID down to 88%. Not only was the voice different, but the cadence as well. Of course, KID was by all accounts a master of disguise, capable of perfectly mimicking the voices of both the head of the Kaitou KID task force, Nakamori Ginzo, and his teenage daughter. Not that Saguru believed that. KID was still human after all.

Silence fell over the room as the task force members shifted uncomfortably. Then a series of small flashbangs went off in a semi-cir… for crying out loud, went off in sequence to scorch KID’s nearly iconic doodle on the floor; the thief himself appearing on the pedestal that housed his heist target. KID smiled as he stood atop the display case, seemingly unconcerned with the flurry of police activity around him.

“Get him!” Nakamori-keibu bellowed as he finally caught sight of the thief’s white suit.

KID waved at the man before back flipping off the display case with cat like grace and landing… in mid air just above shoulder height. “No need to be so rough, Inspector.” KID chided as he pulled his handkerchief from his pocket. “What if I had dropped this?” He closed his hand around the handkerchief, his fingers then unfurling to reveal what Saguru had already decided was one of the most tasteless pieces of jewelry she had ever seen. But at least it housed a sapphire the size of a golf ball.

The task force slid to a stop, one of its members landing on his rump as he lost his footing. If it weren’t so undignified, Saguru would have buried her face in her hands to hide how embarrassed she was by the task force. Instead she settled for straightening the collar of her blazer and glaring at KID. How had it not occurred to the task force that tackling KID to the ground could result in damage to his heist target?

“KID!” Nakamori-keibu growled as if he thought it would somehow cow the thief into giving up his prize.

KID raised his right hand to his chin, looking contemplative as he dangled the world’s most hideous sapphire necklace from his left. A half frown marred his face before he brightened, seemingly having a brilliant idea. “White.” He announced before disappearing in a swirl of neon green, electric blue, and please-claw-my-eyes-out pink.

Saguru flipped open her pocket watch. It had only taken 8 minutes and 12.11 seconds for the thief to once again make fools out of the Metropolitan Police. And she was now only 84% certain that Kuroba-san was KID.

#### -xoXox-

Sunday, May 8th  
Just Outside of Hatakeyama Museum  
00:11:34 AM

“Ah! I’m so sorry!” Saguru exclaimed as she watched a mousey woman in her 30’s topple over. The detective had been so frustrated with the evening that she hadn’t even noticed the woman until she all but run her over. “Are you okay?”

The woman looked more shaken than seemed reasonable until she answered in what was probably German. “Es tut mir leid, ich verstehe es nicht.” Then she seemed exactly as shaken as she should be to have been knocked over and babbled at in a language she didn’t understand.

“ **Do you speak any English?** ” Saguru asked, trying the only other language she spoke.

The woman nodded as she picked herself up off the sidewalk, forgoing the use of Saguru’s proffered hand. 

“ **I’m sorry. Are you okay?** ”

The woman looked at Saguru, her face full of trepidation before it smoothed out, all emotion vanishing before an all too familiar grin split her face. Then KID’s voice slid from the woman’s throat as she (he?) bowed and produced a delicate white rose in another all too familiar gesture. “Just fine, Tantei-chan, thank you for asking.”

Then KID was gone, lost in a crowd of his own fans, his rose tucked behind Saguru’s ear and an extra weight in her pocket; the weight of an absolutely hideous sapphire necklace.

#### -xoXox-

Tuesday, May 30th  
Edoka High School - Near the Doorway of Classroom 2-B  
3:03:55 PM

 “Hakuba-san!” Called a voice Saguru had learned all too quickly meant her patience was about to be tested.

“Can I help you with something?” She questioned as she turned to face what she had internally dubbed the duo of disaster. Nakamori Aoko flashed a smile at Saguru as she pulled Kuroba-san close behind her.

“Kaito owes you an apology.”

“Do not.” The thief, no, Saguru didn’t have proof of that yet,  _the magician_  retorted.

“Even if he does, you are certainly not responsible for making him apologize, Nakamori-san.” Saguru replied. It was a nice sentiment, but getting Kuroba-san to apologize was ultimately an empty gesture. He wouldn’t mean a word of it.

“See Ahouko, no need to apolo...”

Being hit that hard in the back of the head probably hurt quite a bit, but Kuroba-san’s words didn’t so much falter as change abruptly. “What was that for?” He complained as if Nakamori-san had just poked him in the arm instead of whacking him full force with her over flowing book bag.

The girl glared back at Kuroba-san before turning almost sheepishly towards Saguru. “Bakaito is very sorry for dying your hair during math.”

Saguru flipped her usually blonde pony tail over her shoulder to inspect the damage. It was not a color found in nature. Unless nature was hiding bioluminescent purple ameba somewhere.

When she got home, she would sacrifice yet another strand of hair to the mass spectrometer to see what this latest batch of hair dye was made of. She had originally expected to catch KID when he slipped up and used the same compounds in his civilian life that he used at heists. Only, 83 samples of hair dyes and smoke bombs later, KID and Kuroba-san’s chemical signatures still showed no similarities.

#### -xoXox-

Friday, June 24th  
Edoka High School - Class 2-C  
07:43:50 AM

Saguru sighed and ran a hand through her hair. She normally pulled it back in the morning before ever leaving the house, but she’d had other things on her mind. Specifically, the notice Kaitou KID had delivered to the police station at 5 am announcing his next heist. And as per usual, it made no sense at all until Saguru had finished off not only her first, but also her second cup of tea. Black. Because there were certain things that the British just did better. Even if her father vehemently disagreed.

Though, it was possible, that she really needed another cup of caffeinated liquid if she was getting distracted so easily. That, or, the distraction was the only thing keeping her from openly glaring at Kuroba-san as he lounged at his desk, smirking as he re-read the newspaper headline announcing his next heist. Because Kuroba Kaito  _was_  Kaitou KID. Saguru was 99% certain of that. There was only one thing that didn’t fit. He had no motive. And that just didn’t sit right with Saguru.

“Didn’t that stupid thief  _just_ have a heist?” Nakamori-san complained as she read over Kuroba-san’s shoulder.

“You’re just upset because KID keeps making your Dad look like a dunce.” The thief/magician said insensitively as he leaned backwards, looking at Nakamori-san upside down.

Saguru did a double take, focusing on Nakamori-san. “Nakamori Ginzo is your father?”

“Geez, I thought you were a detective.” Kuroba - because after those words left his mouth he had lost any right to an honorific – commented as his head lulled in Saguru’s direction.

“Ignore Kaito.” Nakamori-san voiced as she dropped a bento box to clatter menacingly on Kuroba’s desk. “Kaitou KID is his idol.”

“Don’t you mean he  _is_  Kaitou KID?” Saguru asked before it occurred to her that saying so aloud might be a bad idea.

Kuroba sat up and turned towards Saguru, hope glittering in his eyes. At the same time Aoko scoffed and they spoke simultaneously.

“You think my magic could be as good as KID’s!”

“He  _wishes_  he was Kaitou KID.”

#### -xoXox-

Friday, June 24th  
Atop The Yamada Family Penthouse  
11:12:21 PM

Saguru’s heart leapt into her throat as a bullet tore through the brick ledge of the building, missing KID’s shoulder by maybe a centimeter or three. And the thief didn’t even flinch, turning casually to inspect the ledge with that manic smile of his still stretched across his face.

“Hecklers,” KID said with a shrug, confetti seeming to materialize in the air around him, “what can you do about them?”

A response refused to form on Saguru’s tongue. She stood frozen in place even as her head screamed at her limbs to move.

“Well then, Tantei-chan~” The thief continued with a tip of his pristine white top hat. “I’ll see you next heist. Do consider more suitable attire.” With that he leapt off the building, his cape billowing behind him as he dropped out of sight, reappearing as a white triangle against the quasi darkness of the Tokyo night.

For Saguru it was as though time had frozen, the cheers of KID’s fans drowned out by the pounding of her heart. KID was being hunted by someone far more dangerous than the police. Someone with a sniper rifle and no qualms about using it. Someone KID was obviously taunting with that grin that never seemed to leave his face.

Saguru turned towards the stairs, the moment shattering like glass as the Kaitou KID task force finally barged through the rooftop doors.

Nakamori-keibu was barely recognizable beneath the layers of multi-colored slime and glitter. If not for the mustache and the string of unrepeatable curses spilling from him, Saguru would have been unable to distinguish him from his riot suited subordinates.

“Nakamori-keibu.” Saguru called as she started towards the man.

“KID!” Nakamori-keibu yelled as he whirled on Saguru. “Get him!”

The only thing Saguru could think as she braced for the impending dog pile, was that, at least she wouldn’t have to ask for samples of KID’s concoctions… since she would be covered with them… and probably more than her fair share of bruises.

#### -xoXox-

Friday, June 24th  
Inside the Yamada Family Penthouse  
11:53:02 PM

If Nakamori-keibu would pause for more than 6.4 seconds, Saguru would actually answer him. “Why were you dressed like that?!” The man demanded for the twelfth time since Saguru had crawled her way out from underneath the Kaitou KID task force.

“KID dressed me in it.” She replied tersely, trying her best not to sound as irritated as she felt. Getting on Nakamori-keibu’s bad side would only get her banned from future heists. And her father’s influence only went so far. Assuming the Superintendent General didn’t ban his daughter from heists himself after he found out about the sniper.

“KID dressed you like that?” The disbelief was clear in the inspector’s voice. “Including the bullet proof vest?”

Saguru took as discrete of deep breath as she could manage and nodded. For a change, she felt KID’s motive was crystal clear. He had given up his own protective gear to keep her safe, covering the Kevlar vest with what could only be described as the thief’s recon clothing, a dark blue and grey heather hoodie paired with matching sweatpants that had made Saguru all but invisible against the skyline.

It would seem that KID took his ‘no one gets hurt’ policy very seriously. Somewhere in all of those hidden pockets, the thief must have actually had a moral compass.

#### -xoXox-

Monday, June 27th  
Edoka High School - Classroom 2-C  
07:41:14 AM

“Saguru-chan!? Are you okay? What happened?”

Nakamori-san’s concern was… nice. But Saguru had to wonder how she had gone from ‘Hakuba-san’ to ‘Saguru-chan’ in the span of a weekend. “The KID heist was more dangerous than expected.”

“KID did that to you?! My Dad didn’t say anything about it!” Nakamori-san exclaimed, leaning closer to inspect the muted purple bruise on Saguru’s cheek. The one she had tried and apparently failed to cover with makeup.

“No!” Saguru jumped to the thief’s defense without thinking. She’d much rather have the bruises from the task force dog pile than have taken a hit from what had turned out to be a 7.62R military grade cartridge. Though she did have to wonder how the task force had already forgotten KID’s warning about accidently damaging jewels that way.

An odd silence fell between the girls as if they were both expecting someone else to speak. Someone like the eerily quiet Kuroba.

“Kaito?” Nakamori-san asked, placing a hand on the thief/magician’s shoulder.

Kuroba turned towards her with a far off look in his eyes. And for a moment he looked utterly lost. Then he blinked, his eyes clearing and a smile filling his face. “You look like hell, Hakuba.”

Saguru couldn’t help but feel she had just seen the real Kuroba for the first time. Then he had vanished behind the mask of a cheerful high schooler without a care in the world.

#### -xoXox-

Monday, August 29th  
Edoka High School – Classroom 2-B  
07:36:03 AM

Saguru’s first thought when she saw the wrapped box sitting on her desk, was that Aoko-san must have found out about her birthday despite her best efforts to keep it hidden.

Her second thought was that it was actually kind of nice to have to have friends.

#### -xoXox-

Thursday, September 15th  
One of the Suzuki Family Estates - Ballroom  
8:56:09 PM

Saguru hated when Suzuki Jirokichi challenged KID to steal his latest treasure. Firstly, because who encourages a thief to steal from them? And secondly, because of his niece, Suzuki Sonoko. The girl was openly glaring at Saguru again, making exaggerated hand motions as she ranted to her friend about the injustices of the world. Particularly, that Saguru had gotten closer to KID than any other woman. Which wasn’t true of course. Kuroba was obviously closer to Aoko-san than he was to Saguru. But she couldn’t exactly explain that Sonoko-san. Not that she had the time either.

“Ladies, gentlemen, and detectives of all sizes, welcome to tonight’s heist.” KID announced as he appeared in the middle of the room. He was dressed in his usual top hat and monocle, but the mantle that normally graced his shoulders was conspicuously absent, his suit jacket also traded out for a tailcoat.

“Get him!” Nakamori-keibu bellowed, sounding every bit like the broken record he was.

KID simply tsked and then winced mockingly as the taskforce members each took one step and fell flat on their faces.

Saguru made a mental note to have the task force check that their shoelaces weren’t knotted together immediately before any future heists. She of course didn’t have that problem. Because, thanks to her mother’s meddling, Saguru was not dressed for a heist. She was dressed for a meeting with a suitor. Which was the only reason her father had allowed her to attend at all.

 “Tantei-chan, what happened?! Did your dry cleaner finally put that poor suit out of its misery?” KID questioned as he noticed her hovering at the edge of the dance floor.

“There is nothing wrong with my suit!” Saguru replied, straightening her spine as the corset she was wearing tried to bite into her sides. Between the heavy boning in the bodice and the layered chiffon skirts that fell to the floor, she really wasn’t in a position to chase KID. Especially in the 13cm high heels her mother had insisted she wear.

KID cocked an eyebrow, ignoring the taskforce members as they struggled to their feet, several of them abandoning their combat boots all together. “No, but…” KID snapped his fingers, plunging the room into darkness.

What should have been darkness.

The ceiling was gone. Well not really gone, KID didn’t go around intentionally causing _that_ kind of property damage. But it wasn’t the delicate moldings that Saguru saw as she looked up. It was the stars. The stars she had last seen in the England country side, perfectly clear, protected from the city’s light pollution.

“This is a dress meant for dancing.” KID whispered in Saguru’s ear. She whirled, her breath catching as she came face to face with the phantom thief. And the stars… the stars had nothing on Kuroba’s eyes. And for the first time in her life, she was glad she had taken ballroom dancing lessons as KID pulled her across the floor, dancing to a tune only he could hear.

It was really all too romantic until Saguru’s brain rebooted and she remembered who exactly she was dancing with… right up to the display case of his latest heist target. She froze, KID planting a chaste kiss on her hand as he pulled away from her. Then he grinned, hopping up on the display case with a show of athleticism that simply shouldn’t be possible.

“A round of applause for my lovely assistant.” KID encouraged as he clapped his hands together. “I’m afraid I must be going now. But thank you for helping out with my hypnotism demonstration, Tantei-chan~.”

Then, as if cued by the shrug of KID’s shoulders, a plume of white smoke billowed from the base of the display case, obscuring Saguru’s view in a matter of seconds. When it cleared, the thief was gone. Along with the 83.27 carrot ruby Suzuki-san had just ‘discovered’ in the Brazilian rainforest. Left behind however, was a white rose corsage that perfectly matched Saguru’s dress.

#### -xoXox-

Tuesday, October 4th  
Edoka High School – Classroom 2-B  
08:19:33 AM

Something was up with Kuroba. And he was covering it the best he could he could by going above and beyond with his daily classroom mischief.

Saguru leaned back in her seat, debating the pros and cons of dipping into the little bottle of headache medicine she carried in her book bag. Before today she would have said it was impossible, but she was fairly certain that Kuroba was actually being even more obnoxious than his alter ego.

“Kaito!” Aoko-chan gasped as she finally gave up the chase 19 minutes and 33 seconds into class. She leaned against Saguru’s desk, mop still in hand, as she tried to catch her breath. Amazingly, she was glitter, confetti, and dye free, having only had her neck bow replaced with one of the boys’ ties. Though that might have been because she started wielding the classroom mop like a sword the instant the swap occurred. It was actually pretty impressive that Kuroba could prank the rest of the class mid chase… On second thought, he _was_ a phantom thief in his spare time.

“Is he okay?” Saguru asked.

Aoko-chan looked at her with uncertain eyes, and for a moment Saguru wasn’t sure she was going to answer. “Probably not.”

“Did something happen?”

“He’s like this every year… On the anniversary.” Aoko-chan bit her bottom lip and looked towards the ground. “It’s like he has to prove that he’s alright. This year is worse though.”

“The anniversary?”

“Of his father’s death.”

Suddenly, Saguru felt terrible. Intellectually she was aware that Kuroba Touichi had died 8 years ago. She had even read the police reports and insurance claims. But somehow it hadn’t really sunk in that a little boy had lost his father that day. She had been looking at Kuroba Kaito like he was Kaitou KID since the day she met him. And since KID was… unflappable, she had assumed Kuroba was too. Somewhere along the way, she had forgotten that he was just as human she was.

Aoko-chan sighed again. “And Chikage-san hasn’t been home in nearly 6 months. Though Kaito did say she called him on his birthday.”

That was a lot of information about Kuroba that he probably didn’t want publicized. “Why are you telling me this?” Saguru asked.

The smile that formed on Aoko-chan’s lips seemed too gentle for someone who had just tried to spear the subject of conversation with a cleaning implement. “Because you like him.”

Saguru balked. She _what_?! Aoko-chan thought that Saguru actually _liked_ Kuroba?!

Aoko-chan’s brow creased, her eyes narrowing a second before the front of the classroom exploded in brightly colored scraps of paper. “I know Kaito can be a little much sometimes,” which was an understatement if Saguru had ever heard one, “but he’s my best friend. And he really is a good person.”

#### -xoXox-

Friday, October 21st  
Edoka High School – Classroom 2-B  
10:21:47 AM

“Thank you for sharing, Hakuba-san.”

“Of course, Sensei. Thank you for letting me bring Watson in as part of my report.”

The teacher smiled and nodded as Saguru moved back to her seat, her pet falcon perched happily on her shoulder.

“Wow. Aoko thinks it is amazing you have a pet falcon.” Aoko-chan commented, still referring to herself in the third person for some reason Saguru had never understood. “Do you think she can help catch KID?”

“She might be able to follow KID in the sky, but once he made it to the ground I think he’d escape.” Saguru answered. “Thank you for the glove by the way Aoko-chan.”

“Glove?” Aoko-chan looked confused.

“The falconry glove you gave me for my birthday.” Saguru answered as she lifted her left hand to display the item. The dark brown leather was thick, the wrist so stiff it could barely bend, but that was part of what made the glove perfect. That and the quote that was meticulously sewn onto the gauntlet ‘You know my methods, Watson.’

Aoko-chan looked almost stricken. “I missed your birthday?! When was it?”

“August 29th.” Kuroba-kun answered in Saguru’s stead. “You really should pay more attention, Ahouko.”

#### -xoXox-

Sunday, November 13th  
Yomiuri Shimbun Building  
00:06:34 AM

The bullet proof vest Saguru’s father had had specially made for her only served to slow her down as she adjusted to the bulk and weight. It hadn’t deterred her from following KID, but he had long since outpaced her by the time she finally reached the 33rd floor and stepped out into the night air. She had expected him to be nothing more than an outline of a hang glider in the distance, yet there he stood, moonlight personified in an expertly cut suit. And across from him, hands tucked casually into his pockets, was Edogawa Conan, 8 year old sleuth and media dubbed ‘KID Killer’.

 “Is it the one you’re looking for?” Edogawa-kun questioned as the reflection off his glasses obscured his eyes. Neither he nor KID seemed to have noticed Saguru’s presence as she pressed herself against the wall at the mouth of the stairwell.

KID lifted his latest heist target towards the sky, turning it slightly to catch the moonlight. “You know,” the thief commented without taking his eyes off of the gem in his grasp, “I’m beginning to doubt it exists.”

Edogawa-kun scoffed. “A gem that cries tears of immortality? You’re crazier than I thought if you ever believed that.”

“You know as well as I do it doesn’t matter if _I_ believe it’s real.” KID replied as he tossed the 63.51 carrot emerald into the air and disappeared it with a small burst of blue green smoke.

“Right. It’s what _they_ believe.”

“And _they_ , Tantei-kun, believe that Pandora is real and Kudou Shinichi is dead.”

Saguru’s breath hitched. Kudou Shinichi was a teenage detective like her. The male, fully Japanese version of her really. And he had been reported missing months ago. The widely held belief of the media was that he was never coming home, his body chemically reduced to something unrecognizable. Saguru had never believed that though. People like Kudou-san, people like her, didn’t just disappear, they left trails of clues as bright as neon lights for other detectives to follow. Unless they didn’t want to be found.

“Oi!” Edogawa-kun responded to something Saguru hadn’t heard.

KID chuckled, a sound that was cheerful yet somehow dark. “So what did you want to talk about, Tantei-kun? You always have an agenda.” There wasn’t an ounce of accusation in KID’s words. It was simply a statement of fact as he looked at the 8 year old standing before him.

Edogawa-kun looked away for a moment, staring out over the city scape. “Thank you.”

The playful grin fell from KID’s face. “Tantei-kun.” And for once KID actually sounded serious. Then his expression morphed back as Edogawa-kun turned to look at him again. “Your friendly neighborhood phantom thief is always willing to lend a hand.” And wasn’t that interesting. “But a little more warning would be nice. Or _any_ warning for that matter.”

Edogawa-kun scoffed again. And it really was too grown up of a sound for someone so young. “You know _they_ don’t give warning.”

“Really~?” KID sing-songed. “Then what is with all those warning shots they keep firing off at my heists?”

Edogawa-kun nearly fell over, his head cocking to the side as his entire body slumped. His face clearly read ‘You are an idiot aren’t you?’ “Just try not to get yourself killed.”

KID gestured towards himself with mock shock on his face. “Me? You should really learn to take your own advice Tantei-kun.”

Saguru took a silent step backwards. She didn’t belong there, under the moonlight with a mad thief and a miniature detective. They spoke as equals, rivals rather than enemies, allies in a war Saguru hadn’t even known was afoot. It felt like it had when the first sniper had put KID in their crosshairs. There was a danger she didn’t understand, wasn’t prepared for, and KID… KID was protecting her. Protecting everyone he could.

#### -xoXox-

Monday, November 14th  
Edoka High School – Classroom 2-B  
11:45:23 AM

“Saguru-chan?” Aoko-chan asked, sounding concerned. “Is something wrong?”

Saguru shook off her stupor. “No. Of course not. Why do you ask?”

“We’ll you’ve been staring at Kaito all morning. You’re normally more subtle than that. I think it’s starting to freak him out. He’s refused to look your direction since 9 am.” Aoko-chan’s face suddenly lit up. “You’re planning on confessing aren’t you?!”

“What?! No!” Saguru waved away the idea.

“You are!” The other girl squealed in response.

“No. I’m really not….”

“Finally!” Chimed in Aoko-chan’s friend Momoi Keiko. “You two are perfect for each other.”

“Right?” Aoko-san agreed happily as Saguru floundered.

“How can you two possibly think… Kuroba-kun and I aren’t…”

The girls exchanged looks. “We’ll help you corner him after school.”

#### -xoXox-

Monday, November 14th  
Edoka High School – Exact Location Unknown  
03:08:31 PM

Predictably, Kuroba-kun escaped.

#### -xoXox-

Tuesday, November 15th  
Teitan Elementary School  
07:37:13 AM

Saguru was not one to skip class. She wasn’t. But this was important. “Edogawa-kun!” She called out as the boy walked through the front gates flanked by his friends.

Edogawa-kun’s eyes widened, anger seeming to flash through them a second later. “Go on ahead.” He told his friends, only to be shot down with a chorus of complaints from 3 of the 4 other children.

“We know that’s another detective.” Slurred the portliest 8 year old Saguru had ever seen. “We aren’t letting you run off on another case without us.”

“Yeah!” A tiny brunette girl and the other boy of the group agreed.

“What makes you think she’s a detective?” The second girl asked, finally lifting her eyes from the pink cell phone in her hand.

“Duh,” the portly boy replied, “she’s here to see Conan. So she must be a detective.”

“She could be a friend of Ran-neesan.” Cell phone girl pointed out.

The other three children shared a look before huddling close together and discussing the option in hushed voices. Edogawa-kun on the other hand looked like he was counting to 10 as he pinched the bridge of his nose and tried to maintain his composure.

“Haibara-chan, Yoshida-chan, Kojima-kun, Tsuburaya-kun, Edogawa-kun, class is starting.” Called one of the teachers from the front steps.

“Coming!” The group collectively replied. Except for Edogawa-kun, who looked between Saguru and the teacher.

“I’m sorry, Sensei. I need just a moment of Edogawa-kun’s time.” Saguru hurriedly explained as the other children started for the door.

The teacher’s eyes narrowed slightly. “I’m afraid only Mori Ran-san and Mori Kogoro-san can excuse Edogawa-kun from class.”

“It’s okay, Kobayashi-sensei!” Edogawa-kun chirped. “Hakuba-oneesan is with the police. We almost caught KID last night! But I was so tired that I fell asleep before I could give my statement.”

“I really only need a moment.” Saguru said with what she hoped was a reassuring smile.

The teacher, Kobayashi-sensei looked unconvinced, but she kept looking warily at Edogawa-kun rather than Saguru. “Be sure to come to class when you are done.” She instructed the boy, almost as if she didn’t expect him to actually comply.

“I will!” Edogawa-kun assured her as she turned to follow the other 4 kids to their classroom.

After that, the silence between Saguru and Edogawa-kun stretched for nearly a minute as they waited for the school yard to finish clearing. Then it was Edogawa-kun that spoke first. “What are you doing here KID?”

Saguru was not expecting that. “What makes you think I’m KID?”

Edogawa-kun gave her a ‘look’ and it really was impressive how much feeling the boy could convey without having to say a word. “Do you really need me to explain it?”

When he said it that way, Saguru wanted to say ‘no’ because, really, her deductive skills were at least on par with an 8 year olds. But the reality was, she wasn’t KID. “Yes.”

“I’ll admit, your Hakuba disguise is perfect. I don’t think I’d be able to tell you apart if you were standing next to the original. But you knew that. Because your Hakuba disguise is _always_ perfect. But do you really think Hakuba would skip class?”

“To find about this war you and KID are fighting behind the scenes? Yes. I’m fairly certain I would.”

Edogawa froze. “Hakuba-san?”

“Edogawa-kun.”

Blue eyes narrowed, all traces of Edogawa’s usual childish nature vanishing, making him look a decade older. “You won’t drop his will you?”

The answer was obviously no. And as a detective Edogawa-kun knew that. Saguru shook her head.

Edogawa-kun pulled out a red cell phone. “Give me your phone number.”

#### -xoXox-

Saturday, November 26th  
The Surprisingly Well Maintained Kudou Residence  
10:00:00 AM

Saguru rapped on the door, her anxiousness causing her to knock harder than she had intended. If Edogawa-kun had waited any longer to get in contact with her, she would probably have tracked him down and ambushed him. Because ambushing Kuroba-kun was simply never going to work. And it was killing Saguru to sit next to him in class and pretend that everything was okay. Because really it wasn’t, no matter how laid back the magician/thief seemed to be.

Edogawa-kun opened the door 47 seconds after the agreed upon meeting time. It was unprofessional if you asked Saguru, but not everyone had her impeccable sense of time. Or an antique pocket watch accurate down to a 100th of a second. “Hakuba-oneesan!” He greeted cheerfully as he motioned her into the Kudou residence.

“Edogawa-kun.”

“Come into the library.” The boy invited. “I want to show you my uncle’s Sherlock Holmes collection! I think you’ll really like it.”

While Saguru was in fact slightly obsessed with Sherlock Holmes, that was not what she was there for. “Edogawa-kun. I believe we have something else to discuss.”

“Something else to discuss?” The boy’s tone was cheerful, holding a childish edge, but his facial expressions didn’t match as they walked down the central hallway of the Kudou manor. “You mean the new Kamen Yaiba movie?”

“No. And I’m not sure why you are...” The rest of Saguru’s sentence was cut off by a voice she had hoped to never hear again.

“Get over ya’self would ya?” Hattori Heiji complained from down the hall. Like Kudo Shinichi he was a Japanese male in his teens. He also claimed to be a detective. But how Hattori managed to solve cases with his temper and willingness to believe almost anything, really was too great a mystery for any detective to solve.

“Hattori.” If Saguru’s tone was cold as ice… well, ‘hell hath no fury like a woman scorned’ and all that. At least the feeling was mutual.

“Hakuba-oneesan, Come on!” Edogawa-kun interrupted, gesturing for Saguru to follow him through the doorway Hattori had just appeared from.

“Coming.”

Hattori watched her as she passed, pulling the door closed behind him and locking it. And maybe it was just Saguru, but it seemed to be awfully loud for a library. Not that there was a particular sound that she could isolate, it was almost like it was just white noise… Coming from the white noise generator sitting on the table next to Edogawa-kun.

“Geez. Ya really jus can’t take a hint can ya?” Hattori asked as he walked past Saguru to drop into a plush arm chair.

“What is going on?”

“How much do you know?” Edogawa-kun asked instead of answering. He was watching Saguru as if he suspected her of something.

“Only that KID is fighting some kind of war in the shadows. And that somehow you’re involved too.”

Hattori snorted. “That’s all ya got?”

“Heiji.” Edogawa-kun said in warning.

“But Kudou, she doesn’t know anything.”

Edogawa-kun - because he couldn’t possibly actually be Kudou-san could he? – dropped his face into his hand and glared at Hattori between his fingers. “Why are you here Hakuba?”

“I nearly took a bullet intended for KID.” Saguru started.

“Then stop go’n to KID’s heists.” Hattori spat at her. But Edogawa-kun remained silent, those blue eyes of his seeming to peer straight through her.

“And it made me wonder, if perhaps, _they_ are the Kaitou KID’s motive.”

Hattori snorted. “The thief ’s a loon. ‘e don’t need a motive.”

“He’s not what you think he is.” Saguru shot back. Kuroba-kun was a lot of things, but he wasn’t actually crazy. Everything had a purpose. Everything.

“You know who he is.” Edogawa-kun stated with an undertone of surprise. “But you haven’t arrested him yet. So you either don’t have proof, or you don’t want to.”

“He’s a criminal. Of course I want to arrest him.” Saguru hurriedly replied as Hattori started making choking sounds.

“You… you… you _like_ the Kaitou KID.” Hattori stammered. And wasn’t it amazing how he could actually pronounce words correctly if he slowed down his speech?

“I just don’t want him to end up dead before I catch him.”

“Then stay out of his way.” Edogawa-kun interjected before Hattori could say anything else. “KID’s associated with no one but himself. But _they’re_ afraid of him. Some of the organization members even seem to think he’s a real phantom. Apparently _they’ve_ killed him before and it didn’t stick.”

That actually fit. It explained why the first KID had disappeared. Why Kuroba-kun was the second KID. And why he was willing to risk his life to face _them_. 

As for Edogawa-kun… that mystery would take more time.

#### -xoXox-

Thursday, December 8th  
Edoka High School – Classroom 2-C  
03:12:09 PM

When Koizumi Akako had first approached Saguru, she had been surprised that the class idol had taken time out of her day. Akako was as close to unattainable as most movie stars, but there she was, offering to let Saguru preform cleaning duty for her. As if having to take an extra shift cleaning the classroom after school was a privilege. Saguru was honestly still at a loss as to why she had accepted. But there was a bright side. The other half of the day’s cleaning crew.

“Kaito-kun, why do think KID came back after all those years?” Saguru asked as she started sweeping confetti into a pile near the front of the room. She couldn’t look at him.

“How should I know? _I’m_ not KID.” He replied a heartbeat later. Just long enough to make it seem like he hadn’t had the response planned out already. Just in case someone – read Saguru - ever asked the question.

“Nakamori-keibu answered almost the exact same way. But I think KID is back because he felt like he _had_ to come back. Like he has something he needs to do.”

“Eh? You feeling alright Hakuba? It sounds almost like you’re _commiserating_ with an _internationally wanted_ criminal. Albeit, an awesome one.”

Saguru kept her eyes firmly on the floor, making sure not to miss a single shred of paper. “I understand wanting justice.” She paused, risking a glance at Kaito-kun as he stood by the whiteboard, cleaning solution in one hand and a soft cloth in the other. “The way KID is going about it is more extreme than the lawsuits that most people file, but it’s also more respectable than murders other chose to commit.”

Saguru could feel Kaito’s eyes following her as she moved down the aisle between the desks. “You think that KID is looking for justice?” He finally asked.

“In his own way.”

“You think he’ll get it?”

“I don’t think he’ll stop what he’s doing until he does.”

Kaito-kun’s head dropped to the side as an accusatory expression settled on his face. “Or you catch him. Right?”

Saguru giggled. She just couldn’t help it. Kaito was… dear god, was ‘adorable’ actually the word that had crossed her mind.

#### -xoXox-

Friday, December 23rd  
Edoka High School – Classroom 2-C  
10:23:04 AM

Saguru glanced at the boy sitting to her left. It was impossibly improbable, but she was 80% certain that she actually _liked_ Kaito-kun.

Make that 90% certain. Because _normal_  teenagers didn’t vanish in a cloud of multicolor smoke at lunch time...

Or have chapter 12, page 273, paragraph 1, lines 4 through 9 memorized. _Just in case_ the teacher called on their friend to read aloud while she had her nose buried in a case file...

Or for that matter, use ventriloquism to ‘read’ aloud for said friend... using her voice...

But Kuroba Kaito did.

**Author's Note:**

> Clearly I had too much fun with formatting. Hope it was still readable.


End file.
